5 Different Types of Push-Ups

5 Different Types of Push-Ups

Push ups

1: Decline Push-Ups

Decline push ups

A decline push-up puts emphasis on the fronts of the shoulders and upper portion of the chest muscle. Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a step riser or workout bench, and your hands on the floor just slightly wider than your shoulders to press up and down.

2: Incline Push-Ups

Incline Push-Ups

The basic incline push up is done using a bench, table, or another solid surface that is about three feet high. Here’s how to do this style correctly:

-Stand facing the bench, table, or the edge of a bed.

-Place your hands on the edge of the bench just slightly wider than shoulder width.

-Realign your feet so that your arms and body are completely straight.

-Check that your arms are perpendicular to your body.

-Perform the movement while keeping your body straight, and bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the edge of the bench.

-Again, keep your body rigid throughout the movement.

-Return to the start position by pushing your body away from the bench until your elbows are extended, but not locked.

-Keep going with slow, steady repetitions.

3: Medicine Ball Push-Ups

Medicine Ball Push-Ups

-Start in the push-up position on the floor, keeping your hips down and back flat.

-Place one hand on a medicine ball, while your other hand remains on the floor. Keep your feet spread fairly wide to help with stability. This will be your starting position.

4: Stability Ball Push-Ups

Stability Ball Push-Ups

Step 1
Starting Position: Lie prone (on your stomach) over the top of a properly-inflated stability ball (one that compresses approximately 6″ under your body weight) with both feet and hands on the floor, hip- and shoulder-width apart.

Step 2
Gently contract your abdominal/core muscles to stiffen your torso and slowly walk yourself backwards until your stomach lies directly over the top of the ball with both legs extended and both feet firmly placed on the floor, hip-width or wider apart. Your head, torso and legs should be in parallel alignment with your arms resting on the ball.

Step 3
Place your hands to the sides of the ball close to the top, positioning your hands directly under your shoulders and elbows by your side. Think about trying to squeeze the ball between your hands to create more strength and stability.

Step 6
Exercise Variation (1): If this body position proves too difficult in pressing upwards or in stabilizing your torso, take yourself down to a kneeling position, aligning your head, torso and thighs throughout the exercise.

Step 7
Exercise Variation (2) : To increase the balance challenge, this exercise can be performed by bringing your feet together behind you and raising one foot off the floor.

5: BOSU Push-Ups

BOSU Push-Ups

-Locate a Bosu Ball and place it on a flat surface with the semi-sphere side face down.

-From a kneeling position, firmly grasp the hard outer edge of the Bosu Ball with the left hand positioned at 6 o’clock and the right hand positioned at 3 o’clock.

-Apply pressure downward against the Bosu Ball to establish balance.

-Draw the feet back behind the body to fully extend the legs.

-With the feet and the rounded semi-sphere of the Bosu Ball touching the ground, lower the body downward until the chest nearly touches the Bosu Ball. Inhale throughout this motion.

-With the legs and back maintaining a straight line, press the body upward until the arms become fully extended. Exhale throughout this motion.
Repeat steps 5-6